This invention relates to a yarn finish. More particularly, this invention relates to a spin finish for polyamide feeder yarn to be processed at high temperature into bulked textile yarn that is oil repellent and resistant to soiling by oily materials.
The treatment of textiles with fluorochemicals to impart oil repellency and soil resistancy has been known for some time. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,068,187; 3,256,230; 3,256,231; 3,277,039 and 3,503,915, fluorinated polymers have been mixed with non-fluorinated polymers to obtain a treating composition which will impart both water and oil repellency to textiles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,197 discloses treating previously cleaned textile fabric with fluorine-containing organometallic compounds to impart resistance against soiling, staining and wetting. U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,097 discloses a treatment for imparting oil and soil repellency to textile fabric, rugs, etc., by treating with a solution of certain fluorinated organic carboxylic acids. This reference also suggests combining a detergent with a fluorochemical acid in an aqueous medium for a one-step cleaning and treating operation. Other representative prior art patents directed to fluorochemical compositions capable of imparting oil repellency to textiles include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,171,861; 3,514,487; 3,547,861; 3,646,153; 3,870,748; 3,894,992; 3,896,035; 3,896,251; 3,940,359; 3,959,229; and 4,043,923.
The most pertinent prior art is believed to be U.S. application Ser. No. 861,372, filed Dec. 16, 1977, which discloses that polycarboxybenzenes esterified with certain partially fluorinated alcohols and with hydroxyl-containing organic radicals such as 2-hydroxyethyl, glyceryl and chlorohydryl or bromohydryl, when incorporated with polyamide or polyester fibers as by contact in a liquid medium, concentrate at the fiber surface, especially if the fiber is annealed. A relatively durable oil and water repellency is thus imparted to the fiber.
The fluorocarbon modifcation of fibers in accordance with U.S. application Ser. No. 861,372 is an important contribution to this art. However, I have found that the disclosed oil-repellent fluorocarbon compounds of said application are not compatible with the lubricating oils in spin finishes used in a conventional spinning process. For example, the oil-repellent fluorocarbon compounds will not form a solution with alkyl stearates or coconut oil, which are essential oily components of many spin finishes, including the spin finishes of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,781,202 and 3,993,571. Moreover, the emulsifying components of said spin finishes are not suitable for preparing an oil in water emulsion containing these oil repellent fluorocarbon compounds. Accordingly, I have carried out extensive research to develop an improved spin finish which has the oily properties of a conventional spin finish and also imparts to the yarn the oilrepellent properties of the fluorocarbon finish of U.S. application Ser. No. 861,372.